Get it together, together: Creating whole community continuity through cross-sector collaboration in Texas

Author's Biography

Heather Hernandez is the Statewide Continuity Coordinator for the State Office of Risk Management and leads the Statewide Continuity Program for Texas. She began her service with the agency in 2021 and is responsible for supporting Texas entities in their continuity efforts by helping to build a robust programme for each entity and the entire State of Texas. Ms Hernandez facilitates the Continuity Council, which is comprised of federal, state and local entities, as well as private enterprise. Heather is certified as a Master Continuity Practitioner by the Emergency Management Institute and Military Emergency Management Specialist (SGAUS) and has over seven years of experience working for the State of Texas. She holds two bachelor of arts degrees from the University of Texas in Austin and a master of public administration from the University of Texas Permian Basin.

Shelby Hyman is the Director of Agency Relations for the State Office of Risk Management (SORM) in Texas, and serves as the Continuity Task Force Leader, overseeing the operations of the Statewide Continuity Program. Ms Hyman’s continuity background started in 2000, when she developed continuing education television programmes for subscribing healthcare and emergency services industries. Upon joining SORM, she launched the agency’s online media programme and other communication strategies to support continuity of operations and other agency missions. Ms Hyman is certified as a Master Continuity Practitioner by the Emergency Management Institute and has over 15 years’ experience working for the State of Texas. Ms Hyman holds a bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Texas at Dallas with a concentration in communications, and pursued her master of arts in humanities at the same institution. She is a graduate of the Governor’s Senior Management Development Program at the University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Stephen Vollbrecht is the State Risk Manager for Texas, overseeing the State Office of Risk Management (SORM) as the Executive Director. He is also commissioned as a Judge Advocate assigned to the Texas Military Department, State Guard, HQ, headquarters and headquarters company (HHC). He is also active in integrating continuity as a critical aspect of enterprise risk managemen as a member of ASSP/US Technical Advisory Group to ANSI ISO/TC 262/TG 5 (ISO 31000: Risk Management). Mr Vollbrecht is certified as a Master Continuity Practitioner (MCP) by the Emergency Management Institute (FEMA); a Master Military Emergency Management Specialist (MEMS) by the State Guard Association of the United States; and a Certified Texas Contract Manager (CTCM) by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, and is active in multiple professional associations. He holds Associate in General Insurance (AINS), Insurance Services (AIS), and Risk Management (ARM) designations from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters. Mr Vollbrecht received his doctor of jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law, master of arts from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defence and Security, bachelor of arts from Texas Lutheran University, and associate of applied science from Kilgore College.